Results 13,841-13,860 of 32,961 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: European Union-Related Matters: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (12 Jun 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I guess there are a few different aspects. The Chairman used an interesting phrase, "satisfaction in terms of the system". The satisfaction with the so-called system and the satisfaction of the person making the protected disclosure are two different aspects. That is the reason we will publish whatever review we do in order that people are aware of how we think it is going. In terms of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: European Union-Related Matters: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (12 Jun 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: European Union-Related Matters: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (12 Jun 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: In many cases our legislation refers to the Minister for Public Expenditure and the need for the Minister for Finance to consult him. The consultations over the past year have been rocky and difficult with frequent disagreement but I have managed to reach agreement in the end.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: European Union-Related Matters: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (12 Jun 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Secretaries General tend to stay well away from me when that kind of consultation is under way.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: European Union-Related Matters: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (12 Jun 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Our competitiveness will require renewed focus across the coming period. While the league tables published recently still show our competitiveness is in a good place, they also show that in a number of particular areas our competitiveness had declined. We have moved down in some of the leagues tables. That is a concern. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, updated the Cabinet on this. As to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: European Union-Related Matters: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (12 Jun 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: That is a big question as to how I think it will evolve. There are events taking place in the House of Commons this afternoon of which the Deputy will be more aware than I am. In terms of my best judgement as to what will happen-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: European Union-Related Matters: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (12 Jun 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Yes. It continues to be my judgment that it is more likely than not that a transitionary agreement will be reached that will begin next year. There is a need for the British economy to achieve that. There will also be the effects European-wide if such an agreement is not reached. At this time, I still believe it is far more likely than not that a transitionary agreement will be reached....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: European Union-Related Matters: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (12 Jun 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: It is laid down. I have double-checked when exactly it is due to come to an end. The text currently agreed between the British Government and the EU indicates that it will come to an end at the end of 2020. It is in play but I believe it is more likely than not that this will happen.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: European Union-Related Matters: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (12 Jun 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: That would be a political decision but the participant who will have to call for that first is the United Kingdom. It is more likely than not that there will be an agreement on a transitionary period for all the reasons we outlined, but it is up to the United Kingdom and its Government to decide if a longer one could be merited.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: European Union-Related Matters: Discussion with Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (12 Jun 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Chairman.

Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jun 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Is that the best the Deputy can do?

Questions on Promised Legislation (13 Jun 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Is that the best the Deputy can do?

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (13 Jun 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I have no plans to extend the sugar swetened drinks tax at this time. The recently introduced tax on sugar-sweetened drinks commenced on 1 May 2018 and applies to water and juice based drinks with a sugar content of 5 grams per 100 mililitres or above. The European Commission found that the introduction of the tax constituted no aid and further to that decision, a legislative amendment will...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (13 Jun 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 69 together. Following the publication of the OECD BEPS reports in October 2015, a decision was taken at EU level to introduce the Anti-Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD) as part of a package of measures aimed at ensuring a common and co-ordinated approach to the introduction of the BEPS anti-avoidance measures across the EU Member States. The first...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs Application (13 Jun 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I should advise Deputy that my colleague the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Welfare has policy responsibility for the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance including the numbers benefitting from the overall scheme. I assume that the particular tax relief that the Deputy is referring to is the Start Your Own Business Relief (SYOB), which provides a 2-year exemption from income tax (up...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Government Bonds (13 Jun 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I have been advised by colleagues in the Central Bank of Ireland that as at 31 May 2018, the cumulative monthly net purchases of Irish Government bonds by the Eurosystem (ECB and Central Bank of Ireland) as part of the Public Sector Purchase Programme (PSPP) stood at €27,614 million. This book value is referenced on the ECB website, where there is a table with a breakdown of debt...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Insurance Industry (13 Jun 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Setanta Insurance was placed into liquidation by the Malta Financial Services Authority on 30 April 2014. As it was a Maltese incorporated company, the liquidation is being carried out under Maltese law. The Deputy will be aware that under the Insurance Act 1964, as amended, monies may be paid out of the Insurance Compensation Fund (ICF), with the approval of the High Court, in relation to an...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Schools Facilities (13 Jun 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: Procurement is a key element of the Government's Reform agenda. The Office of Government Procurement (OGP) was established to drive the reform agenda, adopt a strategic approach to public procurement, leverage the State's spending power and deliver savings for the State. Framework agreements are one of a number of ways in which the OGP engages with the market to achieve value for money in...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Freedom of Information Data (14 Jun 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: To date, 185 FOI requests have been processed by the Department of Finance since January 2018. Five FOI requests were appealed to the Department requesting Internal Review; four affirmed the original decision, while one varied the original decision. One FOI request was appealed directly to the Office of the Information Commissioner and was subsequently withdrawn by the requestor. To date...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Vehicle Registration (14 Jun 2018)

Paschal Donohoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 62 and 63 together. I am informed by Revenue that section 130 of the Finance Act 1992, as amended by section 53 of the Finance Act 2017, provides that EU category N1 vehicles with 4 or more seats and to which a BE Bodyworks code has not been assigned will be included in the Category A rate from 31 July 2018. Those N1s with 4 seats or more and which have...